Starting device.



W. JOHNSTON.

STARTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1911.

Patented Nov. 18, 19%3.

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W. JOHNSTON.

STARTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1911.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

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UNITED TATES PATENT @FFICE.

WILLIS JOHNSTON, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YGRK.

STARTING DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIS JOHNSTON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city and county of Schenectady, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for starting or cranking up gasolene or like motors of the rotary type usually used in automobiles, launches or other vehicles. and for many other purposes. In automobiles, e. 9., the motor is usually started by turning a crank connected to the forward end of the crank-shaft, which is extended through the forward end of the crank-case for that purpose. With the ordinary connection, this method is both inconvenient and dangerous, in that a back-fire is liable to break or strain the operators arm.

The object of my invention is to provide simple, durable, efficient and self-disengageable means for starting a motor without danger of accident, and in its preferred forms, without requiring a chauffeur to leave his seat. Further objects of the invention and certain advantageous means for effecting the same will appear in this specification and be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a front and a side elevation of one form of my device; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal, horizontal section through the plane 3-3, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the parts shown in dash lines, and marked 11, 12 and 13, indicate diagrammatically the floor, side portions and a cross portion of the under body of a motor car.

14 is a crank-case, 15, a crank-shaft and 16, a fly-wheel, the last two forming part of the rotor or rotating part of the explosion motor. At the forward, free end of shaft 15 is secured a sleeve 17 having teeth 18 at its front end, the sleeve forming a journal for the rear end of a second shaft 19 suitably supported at 20. Keyed against rotation, but longitudinally movable, on shaft 19 is a sleeve 21 having teeth 22 engageable with teeth 18 on sleeve 17 and provided with flanges 23, which embrace a fork 24 at the end of a swinging arm 25, which is pivoted on a support 26, and movable in a plane parallel with shaft 19 by a hand lever 27 pivoted in a bracket 28 on frame portion 13. Fast on shaft 19 near its forward end Specification of Letters Ettcnt.

Application filed August 17, 1911.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

Serial No. 644,489.

is an arm 29 having a lug 30 at its free end. Mounted for rotation on the front end of shaft 19 is a part 31 having a radially projecting arm 32 provided with a flange 33 at its free end, to which is secured a sheet metal spring 34 having a flat, free portion 35 adapted to bear against lug 30 on arm 29 and a curved, outwardly extended tip portion 36. The body of part 31 is formed with teeth 37 forwardly of which is a smaller, concentric, cylindric portion 38. Mounted for rotation on portion 38 are two levers 39, 40, each of which is provided with a spring pawl 41 engageable with teeth 37. The free end of each lever 39, is connected by a link 42 to the radial lever portion 43 of a rock shaft 44, supported on frame 13 and having a bevel gear segment 45 at its rear end, which meshes with a like segment 46 to which is secured a hand lever 47 which passes up through the floor 11 of the car. Vashers 48 and a set-screw 49 hold the parts 31, 39, 40 in place, see Fig. 3.

The operation of this form of my device is as follows: To start the motor, the chauffeur draws back lever 27, which engages teeth 22 and 18 of the clutch members. He then swings lever 47 back and forth, whereby through the action of bevel gears 46 and 45, shaft 44, lever 43, links 42 and levers 39, 40, pawls 41 engage alternately with teeth 37, thereby rotating part 31 in a clockwise direction, Fig. 1, so that the flat part 35 of spring 34 engages with lug 30 on arm 29, Figs. 1 and 3. Lug 30 is held to rotate with arm 32 by tip 36 of the spring, whereby shaft 19, now connected with rotor shaft 15, is turned until the explosion occurs. The normal rotation of the rotor automatically throws out bevel clutch teeth 22 to the position shown in Fig. 2, and the motor runs independently of the starting means, which are now quiescent. If a backfire occurs, which acts to turn arm 29 in an anti-clockwise direction, Fig. 2, the sudden and powerful movement of the arm depresses spring 34 by the lateral pressure of lug 30 against spring tip 36, so that the lug is disengaged from contact with the spring, the part 31 being held against reverse rotation by pawls 41 engaging with teeth 37, levers 39, 40 being incapable of rotation in the same direction. As shown in Fig. 1, the resistance of spring 34 to the detachment of lug 30 from tip 36 may be regulated by a set screw 50.

ferent parts, can be easily applied, not only to almost any style of car in course of construction, but also to completed cars already in use.

By the phrase actuating rotatable part or the like in the claims, I refer to the part 31 and its connected parts, or their equiva- Lents.

What I claim is:

ably connected to said rotor; a radial farm on said shaft; an actuating rotatable part including an arm adjacent said shat-t arm; means for rotating said part in one direction and for preventing its rotation the opposite direction; and a spring secured to .One of said arms and bearing against the other arm for rotatably connecting them, said spring being so constructed and fitted as to break the rotative connection between said arms When said shaft arm is reversely rotated.

2. A motor starting device including a rotor; a shaft concentric With said rotor; manually engageable and automatically disengagea'ble means for connecting said rotor and said shaft; a radial arm on said shaft; an actuating rotatable part including an arm adjacent said shaft arm; means for rotating said part in one direction and for prevent ing its rotation in the opposite direction;

and a resiliently detachable connection be- ,1. A motor starting device including a, rotor; a shaft concentric with and detaolr tween said arms so constructed and fitted that the rotation of said actuating part in one direction is communicated to said shaft, and that the rotation of said shaft arm in the opposite direction acts to break said conneetion.

WILLIS JOHNSTON.

Witnesses GEO. L. CooPnR, A. FAIR-WEATHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 1). 0. 

